The Youth Within The Arcadia
by Gemini14
Summary: Two young lives are changed forever, when they stow away on board Captain Harlock's Arcadia! Where will their adventurous spirits lead them? How will this change their lives?
1. Chapter One

The Youth Within The Arcadia.

Chapter One

"SHIT!!!" two youthful voices shouted, at the tops of their lungs, as their owners raced hell-for-leather down a hallway. Behind them, an enraged bird and a cat chased them (along with at least half of a pirate ship's crew).

"How'd we get ourselves into this mess?.!" one boy asked, as he leaped to clear one man who had been napping in the middle of the hallway.

"This was all YOUR bright idea!" his companion gasped, then venomously added, "Stow away, you said! Join Captain Harlock's crew, you said! BULLSHIT!!! It's gotten us into nothing but trouble!" And yet, at this point, all they could do was remember what had brought them to this rather humorous situation...

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All was quiet in the slums, as two children wandered through the center of what had once been an old warehouse. In the midst of the thick silence, the whispers of the pair seemed even louder, as they sat down to wait for someone.

"Breaking into that storehouse of 'questionable materials' had been a breeze! Who would've guessed that the security would be so easy to get past?" one boy asked, rhetorically, as he carefully handled what seemed to be a briefcase in his hands; not daring to even open it, for fear of ruining whatever lay inside.

"Got that right! And we got your mom's tapes with hardly any trouble! I hope they'll play on that player we'd managed to get." the boy beside him agreed, also gazing thoughtfully at the case, even as a broad grin was spread across his round face. As unbelievable as it sounded, these two eight-year-old boys had just indeed broken into a government building, stolen some tapes, and gotten away. And yet, the most incredible facts about them had yet to be discovered.

"So, did you two pull it off? Did you manage to get the tapes?" another boy, this one just barely a teenager, asked, as he emerged from the shadows; with other children and even some adults coming in after him.

"Sure did. They're all here, in this case. Good thing we went in tonight, since they'd been slated to be burned in the morning." the first boy replied, his tone sobering as he went on.

"With Arcadia's Voice finally returned to us, we can at last make some headway. The Arcadia Underground now, at long last, has some firm ground to stand on." one of the adults said, gratefully, as he began to set up the equipment that was needed in order to play the tapes, and make copies of them while they were at it.

"Was it very hard to get into the storeroom, Harlock?" another child asked, watching from a distance as 'Harlock' approached the apparatus and carefully opened the briefcase. The boy named Harlock grinned and shook his head.

"Wasn't even a challenge. My dad would've slept through it, it was such a breeze!" Harlock replied, with a laugh.

"Mine too, for that matter! The programmers for the electric locks must've been asleep when they'd set 'em. It was almost too easy!" the second boy, Harlock's compatriot, said, as they all watched the tape in the player begin to move; all of them falling silent when the first wisps of sound started to come from the rigged speakers close by.

"_This_..._is the Voice_..._of Free Arcadia._" a soft, feminine voice announced, from amidst the static; those words alone getting a cheer from the ragtag group. After eight years of silence, Arcadia once again had it's voice...and her words would once again reach out as far as the Sea of Stars.

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In the years following the space pirate Captain Harlock's banishment from earth, many changes had come about. Mysteriously, the Illumidas began to diminish; what was left of their occupation fleet on earth withdrawing for reasons still unknown to the planet's inhabitants. Suddenly finding themselves free, the people of earth at first vigorously rebuilt their world, and then, once they'd reached a comfortable state, slipped into ennui and complacency. Yet, there were a few who didn't agree with this new, lazy world order. These individuals called themselves the 'Arcadia Underground', after the deceased radio personality, whose Voice had just been recently recovered by two children. Even more amazing was the fact that these two boys were the unofficial leaders of the rebellion, as well as the figureheads.

"Ne, Harlock." one youth said, trying to get his companion's attention.

"Hmm? What's up, Tochiro?" Harlock replied, from his place on a caved-in rooftop. The two boys now lay on their backs, stargazing; a pastime that they found themselves doing even more often than before, since they'd recovered 'Voice of Free Arcadia's' tapes.

"You think we'll ever find our fathers? Are they even still alive out there?" Tochiro wondered, aloud.

"Sure we will! Our dads aren't going to die so easily, y'know. Mayu'd said she'd seen both my dad and yours' recently, remember?" Harlock replied, as he took his gaze from the distant points of light and glanced at his friend.

"Yeah. You're right about that." Tochiro said, before lapsing into thoughtful silence, once again. Then his eyes brightened.

"You're never gonna believe what was found yesterday, while we were stealing those tapes!" Tochiro whispered, excitedly. This got what could have been a curious look from the youth next to him, were it not covered in a false look of annoyance.

"What'd been found?" Harlock heard himself ask, despite himself.

"A ship! They'd found an old Solar Federation cruiser in a scrapyard about three miles from here! It's engines worked just enough for the rest to get it to the underground bunker! I'm gonna have to find the manifests inside its' computers to see which one it is, since it's I.D. number and name have been scratched off. But I might be able to fix it!" Tochiro stated, excitedly. This got a grin from the space pirate's son.

"A ship! Finally! Someday we'll be able to leave this hellhole for the stars!" Harlock said, happily, then asked, "How long before it's ready to fly?" At this, Tochiro's expression fell.

"It could take years to repair, Harlock. The damn Illumidas had made it crash and rendered it unable to fly...Tsuyomaru'd said that he thinks it'll take another seventeen years before she's ready to go." Tochiro sadly replied; sounding as though tears were brimming in his young eyes, as he spoke.

"Damn...Then we're gonna have to find our dads soon, if we're ever gonna see what the Sea of Stars is like." Harlock muttered, determinedly.

"But how'll we get on board the _**Arcadia**_? They'll never let us come aboard, since we're still kids!" Tochiro said, despairingly.

"We stow away. That's how." Harlock replied, simply. This got Tochiro to sit up and give his friend a look of absolute shock.

"ARE YOU NUTS?! There's no way we can stow away on that ship! Every attempt made so far had ended with the stowaways getting spaced or worse!" Tochiro yelped; getting a look of exasperation from his friend as a result.

"That's only if we get caught...Which we won't, if we do things right." Harlock stated, nonchalantly.

"You'd better be sure of this." Tochiro grumbled; hackles rising slightly when Harlock laughed softly at that.

"I was sure about that storeroom, wasn't I?" Harlock asked, rhetorically, as he gave his friend a sidewards glance, then added, "We won't know until we try."

"You're nuts." Tochiro muttered, as he again lay back down and stared at the distant stars; feeling something akin to excitement emerge within him when he thought of the prospect of stowing away on the _**Arcadia**_, and meeting their fathers for the first time.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

So here they were, running for their lives to escape from the pirate crew, and the enraged animals. They had succeeded in stowing away...but joining the crew was another story, entirely.

"This way! Hurry!" Harlock shouted, as they rounded another corner; just barely pulling Tochiro out of the hallway and into a small alcove before the 'mob' stampeded over him. For a few moments, the two boys stayed perfectly still, almost afraid to breathe, lest the sound of reach the ones chasing them.

"We need a better hiding place...Guess this wasn't the brightest idea, huh?" Harlock managed, from between gasps, when he was certain that the mob had passed.

"No shit, Harlock...You think? And where are we gonna hide, anyway? They're gonna find us eventually, if they keep runnin' around lookin' for us like that." Tochiro muttered, almost bent over double as he took in deep gulps of air. Cautiously, Harlock stuck his head out of the alcove; his eyes alighting upon one door in particular a bit further down the hall. This door was solid wood that was a rich reddish-brown color; helping it stand out against the metallic wall it was attached to.

"Let's hide in there." Harlock said, motioning towards that door as he spoke. Tochiro in turn took one look at the door and gave his friend an almost deadpan look.

"You're determined to get us killed, aren't you? That's the captain's room, you know. And you wanna hide in there? Where the Great Captain Harlock sleeps? We're sure to get caught if we do that!" Tochiro hissed.

"It's not like I'm sayin' we're gonna stay there while he's in there! It's just till everybody else has stopped lookin' for us. Then we can go back to our hiding place." Harlock replied, as he gave his friend slight, reassuring grin.

"But what if he's in there?" Tochiro asked, worriedly, liking this idea even less than before.

"Right now, I don't think it's likely...But we're gonna have to risk it." Harlock whispered, as he slowly led the way into the hallway and towards the door. Vigilant as always, Tochiro followed him; making certain there was no one around that would spot them doing this. Carefully, Harlock reached up and gripped the door latch; smiling slightly when he found that it was unlocked. The door swung open on well-oiled hinges, revealing a room quite unlike any the two boys had ever seen before. The room itself was richly decorated with oak and marble, and crystal clear transpara-steel glittered in the windows. Through them, they could see a vast starfield, and the blackness of space. Near one of the walls a bed was situated, and across from it, an oaken desk.

"Looks like we're gonna have some luck, this time. Nobody's here." Tochiro muttered in relief, as he almost sat down on the carpet; exhausted to say the least. Yet he immediately felt a surge of adrenaline when he saw something materialize behind his friend. To his eyes, it appeared to be a huge wolf!

"Harlock! Look out!" Tochiro yelped, as he leaped towards the other boy and knocked him away from the wolf. Harlock landed hard on his chest and stomach, the blow almost winding him. Yet he flinched when he heard Tochiro get the air completely knocked out of him and saw it when he fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. In a flash, Harlock was beside his fallen friend, and had his laser pistol out. The creature before him was a sight to behold; midnight black fur glistened in the light of the chandelier overhead, and piercing blue eyes almost seemed to suck the soul right out of him. A white scar could be seen on the wolf's face; trailing down from over his right eye, to his left cheek.

"_It's almost like a Harlock's scar!_" Harlock thought, wonderingly; returning to reality with a jolt, when the wolf did the unthinkable.

"You shouldn't even consider it." the wolf growled; the fact that he had spoken almost enough to make Harlock drop his gun in shock.

"W-what? D-did you just speak?.!" Harlock asked, in disbelief, "What the hell are you?.!" At this, the wolf gave him it's equivalent of a smirk.

"Protector and friend of Captain Harlock...that is what I am, boy. And you'd do well to remember that." the wolf warned, as he took another step towards him. Fearing for Tochiro's life, Harlock did the only thing he could do, at this point; he held his ground, took aim, and fired. With a snarl, the wolf dodged the shot; yet he was inwardly impressed by the youth's stubbornness and determination not to be driven from his friend's side.

"_Quite like the Captain, in that respect. Maybe he has what it takes to become a member of the crew._" the wolf mused, before knocking the boy into the wall with his massive head; listening as the air was forced from the boy's lungs, and he sank to the floor seconds later. Then a thought occurred to him; the boys even resembled the captain and his closest friend, in that respect!

"_Could it be_...?" the wolf wondered, as he approached Harlock and inhaled the boy's scent. Instantly, he recognized the scent of the Captain's blood within the boy...and the blood of his mother, as well.

"Harlock...Maya...so they did have one child together, did they?" the wolf murmured, more than a bit subdued by this finding. Then he turned his attention to Tochiro. Again, he could smell both parents' scents mingled into one in the boy's blood.

"This child even smells like Tochiro and Emeraldas..." the wolf muttered; his eyes narrowing when the implications of this became all too clear.

"Neither of them are going to like this...Not one bit...And here Tochiro had thought he was the father of just one child..." the wolf mumbled, before allowing a piercing howl to burst from his throat; calling for his friend with an urgency in his tone that hadn't been heard in years.

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Captain Harlock could only sigh in exasperation, as he tried to make sense of what his crew was trying to tell him. Standing before him, his angry crew were breathing out threats and curses at the ones who had evaded them.

"Are you all trying to say that we have a stowaway on board?" Harlock asked, irritably, as he leaned against a wall, crossed his arms, and gave his crew his version of a deadpan look.

"Not just one stowaway, Captain! Two! And both of 'em are kids!" one man said, angrily (this one being the one that had been sleeping in the corridor just moments before).

"But how the hell could they've gotten on board? We didn't see anyone else come aboard when we visited the earth a few days ago." Tochiro murmured, seeming just as confused about this as he was sure Harlock undoubtedly was. Before anything more could be said, a throaty howl was heard from the direction of Harlock's quarters.

"Lightningtooth..." Harlock muttered, his eyes darkening as he drew his gravity saber and then charged in that direction, Tochiro not long in following.

"_What the hell is going on here? Why is all of this happening now?_" Harlock wondered, as thoughts of the imminent Mazone invasion returned to the forefront of his mind...and wondering deep down if these two children were really what they seemed.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

With a groan, Harlock returned to consciousness. His chest and stomach hurt from the hard impact with the wolf's head, yet didn't let it be known that it was still causing discomfort.

"_Ow. And people on earth had thought __I__ was the one with the hard head!_" Harlock groused, as he opened his eyes and blearily looked around. To his surprise, the wolf was sitting before the both of them with a seemingly puzzled look on his lupine features. His mind still a little muddled from having been bashed into a wall, Harlock made a move to stand up and check on Tochiro, only to freeze in place when the wolf started snarling at him.

"Stay where you are, if you wish to keep breathing." the wolf said, fiercely. Too dizzy to really argue the point, Harlock sat back down and leaned against the wall; breathing deeply in an effort to quell the sick feeling moving so suddenly had brought to him. Finally, when he was able to think straight again, Harlock looked directly at the wolf again. This time he noticed something he'd missed before; the wolf seemed to be wearing some sort of collar around his shaggy neck. A skull and crossbones pendant could just barely be seen, glinting from time to time in the light of the chandelier above them.

"You'd said...that you're Captain Harlock's guardian...What'd you mean by that?" Harlock questioned; wheezing a little bit, since talking hurt his slightly bruised lungs.

"The Captain saved my life when I was just a cub. I owe him much for that, thus I am willing to give up my own life for him." the wolf replied, calmly, as he lay down in front of the pair and silently added, "_And you, young one, bear such an eerie resemblance to the Captain as he had looked when he was but a boy._"

"Ow...Stop th' world...I wanna get off..." a weak voice muttered, as its' owner dizzily started to sit up, took one look at the wolf, and just about jumped out of his skin.

"Relax Tochiro...So far it doesn't seem like he wants to eat us..." Harlock said, as his friend crawled over to him and gave the wolf a distrustful look.

"So you say..." Tochiro muttered, then sourly added, "So far, you've been pretty wrong on just about everything." The wolf couldn't help but snicker when he saw the vaguely insulted look appear on Harlock's young face, then banished his amusement and gave both children a stern look.

"Be that as it may, it will be up to the Captain to decide what should be done with you two." the wolf stated; ignoring Harlock's comment about his 'eating them' with the grace and patience a saint would have been jealous of. No sooner had he said that, did two men enter the room behind him. In silent wonder, the boys could only stare at the faces of the men that had sired them; they weren't looking at wanted posters anymore...These two men were the real thing. The wolf uttered a bark of greeting to the pair, standing and trotting over to them as he did so. The man known the universe over as Captain Harlock was an imposing sight; he had his gravity saber in hand, ready for a fight, and a pistol was holstered on his right hip, completing the image of a battle-ready warrior. The elder Tochiro was also a man not to be taken lightly. They could both just barely see what appeared to be a holstered pistol peeking out from under his tattered brown robe, and the hilt of a katana could also be seen. For a few moments, they stood staring at one another in disbelief, then Captain Harlock spoke; breaking the uneasy silence.

"What is your name?" Captain Harlock asked, his gaze solely on Harlock as he spoke.

"Phantom Harlock IIII, sir." Harlock replied; noticing when the captain stiffened, and his eye narrowed.

"And you?" the elder Tochiro asked, in turn.

"Oyama Tochiro Jr." Tochiro said, a little nervously. For a few long moments, both men were silent; then they glanced at one another, nodded in silent agreement, and walked over to the wine-chest that was situated right beside the desk.

"Gonna pull a La Miime, old friend?" the elder Tochiro asked, when he saw Captain Harlock pull one of the wine bottles out of the cabinet and uncork it; not even bothering to find a glass, as he did so.

"What do you think?" Captain Harlock grumbled, in response, before taking a good swig of the alcohol. At this, the wolf could only sigh and shake his head.

"If you keep that up, my friend, you'll drink yourself into an early grave." the wolf murmured; smirking slightly when Captain Harlock gave him a dry look.

"I think the situation calls for it. It isn't every day that a man finds himself to be a father." Captain Harlock muttered, before putting the wine bottle to the side, and then glancing at Harlock again.

"Who was your mother, Phantom?" Captain Harlock questioned, a bit shakily.

"Maya, the Voice of Radio Free Arcadia..." Harlock replied, hesitantly; noticing when Captain Harlock's face paled a little, and when he shook his head as though to clear it.

"As hard as it is for me to believe it...I have the feeling that I am hearing the truth...How old are you?" Captain Harlock again asked.

"Just turned eight, sir." Harlock answered.

"Eight years old...and you and your friend had somehow managed to throw the _**Arcadia**_ into complete chaos. If that isn't proof that he is your son, old friend, and the other is Tochiro's son, then I don't know what else could prove it." the wolf murmured, jokingly, as he returned his gaze to the captain of the pirate ship.

"But they can't stay here, Lightningtooth. They must return to the earth." Captain Harlock stubbornly said.

"We can't go back." Tochiro quietly said.

"Why can't you go back, kid?" the elder Tochiro asked, curiously; having noticed the oddly grim looks that were crossing their young faces.

"We're the leaders of an underground resistance movement...Or we were, before we stowed away." Harlock stated, boldly; not breaking eye contact even once from the captain's single brown eye.

"You mean...the movement calling itself the 'Arcadia Underground'? You two actually led it?" the elder Tochiro asked, shocked when he realized what this meant.

"Hai." Tochiro confirmed, a little guiltily. And yet, this earned both him and Harlock a grin from the diminutive engineer.

"Hear that? Not even ten years old and already they're outlaws! Chips off the old blocks!" the elder Tochiro laughed, as he swept his son into an embrace, and then playfully ruffled the boy's hair. As Harlock watched, the ice seemed to melt from around the man he knew was his father, and the look in that single eye softened a little bit.

"So it would seem, old friend. So it would seem..." Captain Harlock sighed, then kneeled before Harlock and held out a hand in greeting, "Welcome aboard, Young Harlock. You're fighting under my flag, now." At this, Harlock smiled, reached out, and gripped his father's hand as strongly as he could. He was now a member of his father's crew...What more could he ask for?

Author's Note!

Okay, as Ligthingtooth had alluded to in her story, here's Young Harlock and Tochiro's past! Hope this was an all right attempt!

Gemini14


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

It was the end another rather long day aboard the _**Arcadia**_, as most of the crew settled in for some much-needed sleep. As a rule, Harlock didn't normally stay awake all night, but some things (like the ship's log), needed to be done before he could rest. And then, to add to his restlessness, there was the fact that his newfound son was on board, as well. The boy now slept in his bed, since his quarters hadn't been decided on, as of yet.

"_Maya_..._Why didn't you tell me?_" Harlock wondered, as he gazed at the slumbering child's face. Very easily he could see hints of himself and his late wife mixed into the boy; the light brown, almost blond, hair that fell messily over eyes that, when open, were the same color as his father's...Eyes that held the same fighting spirit as both parents, and the proud family line he'd descended from.

"_He's a true Harlock, that much I can't deny_..._But how could he have survived all that time alone? Is the rest of the family dead as well? Or did Maya just not have enough time to send him back to Arcadia?_" Harlock inwardly questioned; knowing without even asking that Young Harlock probably didn't even know, either.

"_Yet, he had to have been told by someone who had known Maya, since he knew who his mother was, as well as who I was_..._but who could have told him?_" Harlock again wondered, as he then sighed and irritably ran a gloved hand through his thick brown hair.

"Stop thinking so hard, my friend. I'm starting to see smoke coming from your ears." Lightningtooth quipped, jokingly, as he trotted over to the desk. This got a deadpan look from Harlock as a response.

"I get enough of that kind of sarcasm from Tochiro and Emeraldas, old friend. This is definitely a sign that you have been hanging around them for far too long." Harlock mumbled, as he closed the log and sat back in his chair. At this, Lightningtooth gave him a feigned look of hurt.

"What can I say? I am this way because of the company you keep, after all." Lightningtooth then stated, with a smile.

"Not commenting on that one." Harlock muttered, as he leaned back in his chair and stretched slightly. He turned to look when he heard some movement from the bed, and was a little surprised when Young Harlock slowly sat up; rubbing his eyes as he did so.

"Young Harlock?" Harlock questioned, seeming even further surprised when the boy didn't answer him, climbed out of bed, stumbled over to him, and climbed up onto his lap; settling his head on his father's chest as he did so.

"Jus' for t'night..." Young Harlock mumbled, sleepily; promptly drifting off again. For a few moments, Harlock was at a complete loss for what to do next, then he sighed and relaxed.

"No matter how independent he may act, he is still only an eight-year-old boy. A boy who has missed his father terribly." Lightningtooth murmured, as he watched Young Harlock grip a fold on his father's shirt tightly in his small hand.

"True. Yet, when I was his age, I took family for granted...thinking I would never be without. He and Tochiro Jr have been alone for eight years. What could it have been like for them?" Harlock wondered aloud, as he started rubbing Young Harlock's small back.

"We'll probably never know, since those two are both too strong to whine about the pain they must have endured. At least now, they have the chance to experience some stability." Lightningtooth said, quietly; a softer look appearing on his face when he noticed how at peace the boy now looked.

"But for how long, I wonder?" Harlock sighed; not bothering to hide his troubled expression from the wolf.

"As long as it is possible for you to do so. Young Harlock needs you; not only for the stability he has missed, but also for the things only you can teach him." Lightningtooth said, firmly.

"True…..But I dread having to perform the rite of passage……Maybe that explains part of the reason why my own father had been away from Arcadia during that time." Harlock murmured; remembering very clearly that day when he'd inherited the 'Harlock Scar'. Lightningtooth allowed a slight sigh to escape from between his lips, and gave his friend a vague smile.

"I remember it as clearly as you do…..Since I was the one to give your grandfather a new scar that day, as well." Lightningtooth admitted, a little sheepishly, then said, "But that is still two years off. Maybe you'll have the chance to explain it to Young Harlock, and let him choose whether or not he wants to go through with it."

"Maybe." Harlock agreed, as he glanced at the slumbering boy's face, and tried to imagine it with the scar running across it.

"In any event, I need to see what my own son is up to. It's past his bedtime, and he still hasn't returned to this room." Lightningtooth muttered, as he turned to go and look for his own offspring.

"Good luck." Harlock said, with some sarcasm of his own returning to his voice. Lightningtooth's expression deadpanned.

"Thanks." Lightningtooth mumbled, before trotting out into the hallway and closing the door behind him.

…………………….

"Why'd you go and do that again for, Mii-kun? Y'know you're gonna get chased by Masu-san whenever you try to steal the Captain's dinner."

Lightningtooth couldn't help but smile, when he heard the sound of that youthful voice. And he almost laughed when he saw the sight before him; there sat his son, with a rather ashamed-looking bird and cat before him. The cat's fur was standing on end; almost as though he'd been given a nasty shock of static electricity (and knowing the _**Arcadia**_ as well as he did, he wouldn't doubt it). The bird, likewise, also appeared disheveled, with feathers sticking up every which way.

"Mrr-ow!" Mii-kun argued; getting a shake of the head from the pup as he did so.

"No excuses, Mii-kun. If you're not careful, the Captain's gonna find a way to make you walk the plank, even if we are in space!" the pup muttered, then turned to the bird, "And you, Tori-san, have no excuse either! You've been aboard the _**Arcadia**_ even longer than Mii-kun! You should know better than that, by now!"

"But……but….." Tori-san stammered, yet got cut off by a wave of the pup's paw.

"No 'buts' Tori-san. If this keeps up, the both of you are gonna get spaced…..and I don't think it'll be the Captain doing it, either." The pup warned. This earned him a comical set of nervous looks from the other two animals, and then they both sheepishly went off down the hallway in opposite directions.

"Good job, son. You handled that quite well." Lightningtooth commended; smiling when the pup jumped slightly, and then turned to face him.

"You really think so, Dad?" the pup asked; his tail beginning to wag when he sensed his father's approval. Lightningtooth nodded.

"Yes. Now, let's get you to bed, shall we?" Lightningtooth asked, his smile not fading in the slightest when a sheepish look crossed the pup's face at the realization that bedtime had been quite some time ago.

"Okay." The pup agreed, as he followed his sire back to the Captain's room. The sight that greeted them was one that brought an unreadable smile to the older wolf's face; Harlock was still reclined in his desk chair, with his feet propped up on the desk itself, sound asleep. Young Harlock was now situated on his chest, his head resting just over his father's heart; lulled into deeper slumber by the heart beating under his ear. La Miime had just come into the room and was, even now, draping a blanket over the two; a gentle 'smile' touching her golden eyes as she did so.

"Who's that, Dad?" the pup asked, curiously, as he pointed out the slumbering boy.

"That, young one, is the Captain's son….and this is the most peaceful I have seen the Captain since our days in Arcadia. Finding his son has indeed been good for him." Lightningtooth murmured, as he watched La Miime place a kiss on the elder Harlock's brow, and one on Young Harlock's cheek.

"He'd always seemed so troubled before……His sleep haunted by nightmares…..But tonight, it seems that the nightmares will stay away." La Miime said, agreeing wholeheartedly with the wolf when he'd said that the elder Harlock seemed more at ease than before.

"Let's hope so. With this problem of the Mazone cropping up, he'll need to be as rested as he can get. It wouldn't do to have him get captured again." Lightningtooth said; baring his fangs as he remembered the incident in question, and how long it had taken for the burns on Harlock's wrists, legs, and neck to heal. He'd always cursed himself for not having been there to help rescue his friend, and wished he could have gotten back in time to rip one of the hunters asunder for torturing him as badly as he had.

"Very true." La Miime murmured, as she sat down and started playing a gentle melody on her harp, the sound of it deepening the hold slumber had over the father and son, and encouraging dreams of better times to emerge. Stifling a yawn of his own as he did so, Lightningtooth guided his own son towards the large basket in the corner of the room; no sooner lying down when, he too, found himself sound asleep.

…………………….

Sleeping in had never been a habit, during his days in the military; and it had seemed even less so, when he'd become a space pirate. And yet, Harlock found himself waking late enough to hear the sounds of his crew milling about outside of his quarters; going about their usual daily routines. At first, he was a bit bewildered as to how this could be, and then he felt an unfamiliar weight on his chest. His son was still curled up on his chest; dozing beneath the light blanket that had been draped over the both of them. He also noticed that the boy seemed to have a death-grip on his shirt; seeming determined to not let him leave him alone again.

"Your son too, eh?" Tochiro Sr. asked, as he quietly entered the room.

"Tochiro Jr. did the same last night?" Harlock questioned, in turn. At this, Tochiro nodded.

"Yeah. It seems almost as though those two are afraid we're gonna abandon them again. They'd probably never admit it in a million years, but those years alone must've been hell for 'em." Tochiro murmured.

"That seems to be the case." Harlock agreed, as he slowly sat up; carefully wrapping his son in the blanket, and disentangling the boy's hand from his shirt as he did so. Almost immediately, Young Harlock began to rouse up, yet quieted again when his father spoke to him.

"I'm not leaving, son. I'm just going to the bridge for a while. Rest easy." Harlock murmured; seeming amazed when his words had a calming effect on the boy. As gently as he could, he laid the sleeping child back on the bed, and then glanced at the basket where Lightningtooth and his own son slept. The adult wolf had awoken when Tochiro had entered the room, yet had only watched silently as the captain did what he could to reassure the boy. With a slight, knowing smile, Lightningtooth then carefully picked up the slumbering pup by the scruff of his neck; walking towards the bed and laying the pup down beside Young Harlock once he was close enough.

"Let me know when he awakens." Harlock ordered, getting nods from both Lightningtooth and La Miime for that.

"Will do. If anything, you'll know before we can call you, since both boys have a penchant for causing trouble." Lightningtooth chuckled, as a deadpan expression again graced Harlock's scarred features.

"As we all know only too well, now." Tochiro agreed, with a smirk and a shake of his head.

"How upset is the crew?" Harlock asked, even though he dreaded the answer.

"Actually, a lot of 'em calmed down after they learned who these kids are. The few who were still complaining may have actually seen the scary side of Yattaran afterwards." Tochiro explained; grinning when he saw a curious look appear in Harlock's eye.

"How so?" Harlock questioned, as he led the way to the door; heading for the bridge so the conversation wouldn't disturb Young Harlock.

"Yattaran actually threatened them with taking away their sake for a week, and gluing 'em to the walls if they made any moves against those two. Needless to say, the First Mate has things well in hand." Tochiro chortled, and as a smirk appeared on Harlock's face, as well.

"The only thing I am worried about, then, is how to get modeling glue off of the walls, if he does carry through with his threat." Harlock muttered, with a sigh. Such was the life of a pirate, in the Sea of Stars. A weird lifestyle that had even weirder ways of handling things, sometimes.

…………………………….

When Young Harlock finally woke up, he found, first of all, that something fuzzy was sleeping almost right against his face. Upon opening his eyes, he was a bit surprised to see that a black puppy was curled up there.

"Hey, where'd you come from?" Young Harlock quietly asked, as he sat up and carefully placed the pup in his lap. At the movement, the pup roused up and blinked at him confusedly for a few moments, then seemed to grin at him.

"Morning! I'm Keikai! Who're you?" the pup asked, almost flooring Young Harlock with the fact that he could talk, as well.

"Phantom Harlock IV……though I guess everybody will be callin' me 'Young' Harlock, now." Young Harlock said, not withholding the smile that came when the pup held out a paw to shake in greeting.

"I see you're finally awake, young one." Lightningtooth said, smirking slightly when Young Harlock gave him a bit of a wary look.

"You're not gonna bash me into the wall again if I get up, are you?" Young Harlock asked, distrustfully.

"Certainly not! You're a member of Captain Harlock's crew, now! The same goes for your friend Tochiro Jr. as well." Lightningtooth stated, then added, "In case you have forgotten."

"What I haven't forgotten is how much that head of yours' hurts." Young Harlock muttered, dryly, then asked, "Where is Tochiro, anyway?"

"He'll be here shortly. Masu-san had managed to save you and Tochiro some breakfast." A woman's voice gently said, as its' owner entered the room with a tray of food. Of course, Young Harlock was a bit bewildered when he got a good look at the woman in question; she had no mouth!

"Who're you and how'd you do that?" Young Harlock asked, in a rush; childish curiosity overwhelming the lessons in politeness that had been drilled into him in the not-too-distant past. At this, the woman seemed to 'smile' with her eyes, as she laid the tray on the desk.

"I am La Miime…..As to the second question, what did you mean?" the woman in turn questioned, as she tilted her head slightly to one side in slight confusion.

"How could you talk without a mouth?" Young Harlock again asked.

"It's just how I am, young one." La Miime replied, airily, with a slight shrug of her dainty shoulders.

"Oh…." Young Harlock murmured; fighting the urge to flinch when she reached out to him and brushed a few strands of his unruly hair off of his face.

"_He's leery of being touched, that much I can see. But why, I wonder?_" Lightningtooth wondered, then asked, "Young one, why did you stiffen when she touched you, just now?"

"Livin' in an orphanage is hell……Especially when the people runnin' them are demons wearin' human skin." Young Harlock mumbled, shamefully. He looked up when both Lightningtooth and the wolf pup beside him snarled softly under their breaths, and even La Miime's gentle golden eyes hardened a little bit upon hearing this.

"_That explains so much_….." Lightningtooth seethed, hackles rising at the thought of the orphanage keepers abusing the two boys; giving them even more of a reason to run away, begin their resistance movement, and then find their fathers.

"Did they beat you?" Keikai asked, as he looked up into eyes that had been, just moments before, so filled with life. Young Harlock nodded.

"With belts, sticks, anything they could get their damned hands on….. They would even use their fists, sometimes…..Tried to make us examples before the others….. So none of them would stand up for us…..We'd tried to convince Mayu t'come with us…..but she'd said she didn't want the only people who gave a damn to worry about her." Young Harlock stated, sadly, then added, "Tochiro'd even said that it felt like we'd fed her to the dogs, the day we ran away from there."

"But you didn't abandon her, Young Harlock. Not by a long shot. As long as your thoughts, and those of Tochiro Jr., are with her, then you haven't completely abandoned her." Lightningtooth said, firmly, as he placed a paw on the boy's leg, and gave him a stern look.

"You really think so?" Young Harlock asked, as he looked at the older wolf with a look on his young face that was far too familiar to him.

"Yes. Now, you'd best eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I will be back in a moment." Lightningtooth said, as he quickly departed from the room; rage building within his heart at what he and La Miime had learned, and the resolve he now had to keep the boys on the ship at all costs.

…………………

To say that both fathers were upset by these findings was an understatement. He could hear Harlock snarling something in German under his breath, and could see that this posture was stiff with barely-contained rage. Tochiro, in the meantime, was silent, but Lightningtooth could sense that he was thinking of some very painful deaths for the keepers of one orphanage in particular.

"Shit. It's no wonder they'd come lookin' for us." Tochiro finally said; his voice taking on the same hard edge Harlock's now had.

"And that orphanage where Mayu lives now is the only one in that vicinity…..From the sounds of things, my friend, it seems you can't keep her there for much longer." Harlock growled, angrily.

"You're right about that….But where could we take her that would be any better? I don't think Emeraldas would be able to bring her aboard her own ship…." Tochiro murmured, worriedly, then added, "And we haven't heard from her in days."

"Then we'll have to focus on reaching her, before anything else can be done about this, or the Mazone problem." Harlock said, darkly; before walking back towards his quarters.

"_I just hope we're able to find Emeraldas before something happens_….._It isn't like her to be out of touch for so long_……" Lightningtooth thought, a bit worriedly, as he glanced at Tochiro, and felt the concern he had not only for his wife's safety, but also for his daughter's wellbeing, as well.

Author's Note!

Not a very exciting chapter, granted, but it's a step in the right direction! (There's also a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter about Ligthingtooth's newest fic 'Unbreakable Will of Love' as well!) Hope this was an all right chapter!

Gemini14


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Several hours later, everyone on board the _**Arcadia**_ was brought to full attention, when the alarms started blaring.

"What's goin' on?! What's happening?!" Young Harlock yelped, as he rushed out of his father's quarters with Tochiro Jr. and Keikai right behind him.

"Dunno, kid. All we know is that the central computer's picked up on somethin'!" one pirate replied, having somehow heard the youthful voice despite the din.

"Then which way is the bridge from here?" Tochiro Jr. asked, yet got no answers from the crew, as they rushed to their positions for battle.

"This way! I know the way! C'mon!" Keikai yipped, as he started running in the direction the two boys wanted to go. Not having any other choice but to follow the wolf pup, the two boys raced through the halls to where an elevator waited; stopping when they almost ran into one crewmember in particular. She appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, had blond hair and piercing blue eyes; eyes that widened when she saw them skid to a halt in front of her.

"What do you think you're doing?! You two can't go on the bridge right now!" the young woman said, her tone a mix of shock and surprise, when she saw who the boys looked like.

"Somethin's goin' on and we don't want to miss out. Right, Harlock?" Tochiro Jr. asked, with a grin; getting a nod from his friend for an answer.

"Got that right." Young Harlock agreed, not in the least bit deterred by the woman's subsequent glare at their audacity, as they quickly got on the elevator before the doors closed. When they arrived on the bridge, even the two boys could tell that something was definitely wrong. Harlock was standing at the wheel, gripping it in an iron grip, and gazing stonily at the viewscreen in front of him. Tochiro, in the meantime, was about three feet away from the captain; and was pacing anxiously back and forth across the deck.

"_What's goin' on? Why do our dads look so upset?_" Young Harlock wondered; watching as Lightningtooth also took up a position beside the captain; blue eyes narrowed and ears slightly folded back in concentration. Both boys jumped when Keikai suddenly spoke; his voice filled with worry and some fear.

"I can't hear Mom's mind, Dad! Is she okay?!" Keikai questioned, anxiously.

"She's alive….that's about all I can say, at this point, son." Lightningtooth replied, with some very evident concern in his voice as he spoke.

"We've picked up a signal…..It seems Angel has remembered the tracker on her collar, and activated it….But we're still a good distance away from where they are." Tochiro worriedly said, not pausing even once as he spoke; his worry and anger readily apparent. Harlock's eye narrowed, before he spoke again.

"Put us on course, Kei." Harlock ordered, getting an immediate compliance from the teenaged girl before adding, "Put the engines to maximum. It's time to put the _**Arcadia**_'s speed to the test."

"But who's Angel and what's goin' on?" Tochiro Jr. asked, becoming even more uneasy as time went on. At this, he got a grim look from his father.

"Angel's my mom…..and she's the guardian of your mom." Keikai whimpered, as concern for the both of them emerged.

"My……Mom's in trouble, Dad?!" Tochiro Jr. suddenly yelped, when the pieces had finally fallen into place.

"Yeah…..You two, I've got somethin' to give you." Tochiro murmured, as he rushed over to what seemed to be a munitions closet, opened it, and pulled two pistols and their holsters out.

"What…..?" Young Harlock finally said, his young eyes widening when he saw what the guns looked like.

"These are yours'. I started 'em on a whim, not knowing why I was making extras….Guess it was a sign that you two would eventually come aboard. You know what they are, right?" Tochiro asked, smiling slightly when he saw the awed looks on their young faces.

"Cosmo Dragoons…..And these are ours?" Young Harlock asked, as he carefully handled the pistol he'd been given. Tochiro nodded.

"Just use them wisely. They are not toys, as you should know, by now." Tochiro stated; allowing himself a tiny grin when he sensed a hint of concern emerge within Harlock's spirit, and knew that he had not anticipated either of the boys heading out into battle with them.

"Yeah. Much better than the pieces of crap we've been using till now, ne, Harlock?" Tochiro Jr. asked, rhetorically; giving his friend a grin when the other boy nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Got that right!" Young Harlock said, wholeheartedly, as he fastened the gunbelt around his waist and looked back at the viewscreen. They were approaching what appeared to be a lush, green forest planet.

"The signal is getting stronger, sir." One of the men on deck said, as he turned to look at the _**Arcadia**_'s captain.

"Man the battle stations, we're breaching the atmosphere in a few minutes." Harlock growled, getting an immediate compliance from all on board.

"_This is where things get interesting._"

………………………….

Just as Harlock had said, the _**Arcadia**_ entered the planet's atmosphere within seconds of the order being carried out. Almost immediately, they could see what appeared to be a ground battle going on…..yet it proved to be something else, the closer they got.

"Damn! They're takin' 'em apart down there!" Tochiro Jr. shouted, furiously, as he watched the sickening sight of the unarmed men getting gunned down as they ran.

"Go find Emeraldas, Tochiro. I'll handle this front." Harlock snarled, as he let go of the helm wheel, and checked his belts for his gun and gravity saber.

"On it. Be careful out there, my friend. The guns those bastards have don't look normal." Tochiro said, concernedly.

"Don't worry. We'll walk away from this, count on it." Harlock replied, as he gave the engineer a thumbs up before Tochiro swiftly disappeared down the hall.

"I'm goin' too!" Tochiro Jr. said, as he made a move to follow his father down the hall, yet was stopped by a word from Harlock.

"No. This is something only he can handle, at this point…..Though I don't think I will have as much luck convincing either of you to remain on board when we make landfall." Harlock muttered, as he glanced at them with a resigned look in his eye; noticing right away the stubborn light in their young eyes.

"So like their fathers, in that respect." Lightningtooth sighed, when he'd seen the same light appear in Keikai's blue eyes, as well.

"We're members of your crew, Dad, so we're gonna fight too." Young Harlock stated, determinedly.

"I thought as much." Harlock in turn sighed, shaking his head as he did so.

Author's Note!

Granted, not a very long chapter, but this is connected to Ligthingtooth's fic 'Unbreakable Will of Love', so the next few chapter might seem a little short, by comparison. Hope this was all right, otherwise!

Gemini14


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The scene was of complete and utter chaos, as the _**Arcadia**_ landed, and the ship's crew and captain made their way outside. Hundreds of men lay dead or dying on the ground from the wounds the guards surrounding the complex had given them.

"Damn….what a massacre…." One member of Harlock's crew muttered, before uttering a yelp and getting knocked behind some boulders; shocked when he saw that Young Harlock had just recklessly pushed him out of sight of another blast.

"Looks like this is round two." Another man was heard to say, before the air around them became thick with laserfire.

"No shit." Tochiro Jr. muttered, as they all took cover from the seeming 'storm'; only managing to fire off a couple of shots every now and again.

"Hold your fire! Let them get closer, and then try to fire on them!" Harlock commanded, from amidst the roar of the guards' rifles.

"Aye, sir!" the crew shouted, in response. And yet, even with that plan in mind, they were still shocked when one of the guns on the other side suddenly exploded; some of them looking up and back to see if the _**Arcadia**_ had fired a shot.

"It wasn't us, Captain! It looked like something on their side had set it off!" Kei's voice shouted, over Harlock's comm-link; sounding just as bewildered by the occurrence as those on the ground now were.

"_Then let's hope some more miracles like that happen!_" Harlock thought, as he turned and nodded to the men on either side of him; sensing that their only real chance was to charge in when the guards were in disarray. Seconds later, another gun blew up, and, briefly, a man appeared on the other end of the battlefield; his lean body bloodied and bruised, and white clothing bloodstained, but even from that distance the _**Arcadia**_'s captain and crew could see the fiery spirit in his wild brown eyes.

"Now!" Harlock shouted, as he raised his gravity saber and motioned them forward. With yells of fury, the crew surged forward; rushing towards the complex with their own guns drawn.

"_Now, to see if we can prove ourselves worthy of our names!_" Young Harlock thought, as they swiftly closed the distance between them and the prison, with Tochiro Jr. and Keikai sticking close to his side…..None of them realizing that a defining moment was indeed just around the corner…..

………………………….

Tochiro cursed vehemently under his breath, as he scanned the land as he flew over it. The closer he got to the signal, the stronger his feelings of unease and anger became. He could already sense Emeraldas' pain, and, what angered him even further, was that a hint of shame was in her spirit, as well.

"_Whatever yarou has dared to put that in her, is going to regret it._" Tochiro inwardly snarled, his eyes narrowing as his fighter neared the forest behind the complex…..and his heart leaping into his throat when he caught sight of a flash of red through a break in the trees.

"_There!_" Tochiro inwardly shouted, as he circled around to try and find a place to land, only to be forced into pulling up again when a blast from another fighter almost clipped his wing.

"Dammit! Where the hell….?!" Tochiro growled, as he glanced at his fighter's scanners, and saw that the radar was picking up at least two more fighters.

"_Hold on for a bit longer, Emeraldas_….._Just hold on! I'll be there as soon as I can!_" Tochiro thought, then turned and glared at the fighters coming towards him from both sides, "You want a piece of me, yarous? C'mon, then!" With that said, a vicious dogfight began in the sky over the imperiled captain of the _**Queen Emeraldas**_….one that both he and one other hoped would lead to an eventual victory over the one who now held Emeraldas captive.

Author's Note!

Yes, yet another short chapter (probably my shortest one in a long time). Hope it was okay, though!

Gemini14


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Tochiro cursed uproariously, as he fought a vicious air battle above the clearing where he had spotted Emeraldas. Every so often, he caught a brief glimpse of her, Angel, and a rather sinister-looking man…..the last of which worried and angered him greatly.

"_If he's laid one finger on her, I'll personally hunt that yarou to the ends of the universe and tear him limb from limb!_" Tochiro seethed, as he continued his fight; only hoping that he could get to her side before she could suffer any more.

…………………………

The ground battle wasn't going any easier for the rest of the _**Arcadia**_'s crew, nor for her captain. In fact, they had been forced to take shelter in the now-bombed out parts of the prison in order to avoid part of an aerial bombardment that was just barely being deflected by the ship itself.

"Sure is a helluva lot different from how earth had been, huh?" Tochiro Jr. asked, carefully aiming his shots so they would count. Young Harlock nodded.

"Yeah……but if something doesn't change soon, we'll……!" Young Harlock started to say, yet yelped when another guard suddenly emerged right in front of them.

"_Shit! He's too close!_" Young Harlock's mind yelped, not realizing that someone had just heard that desperate thought, and was about to spring into action. With a howl that would have frozen even a battle-hardened wolf like Lightningtooth in his tracks, Keikai fiercely launched himself at the guard's throat, grabbed it in between his small jaws, and twisted with all his might. The two youths could only stare in mute shock as the grown man went down with a gurgling groan; his throat torn out by a wolf cub!

"Whoa…..That was amazing! Where'd you learn that?!" Tochiro Jr. asked; having found his wits and voice before Young Harlock could, this time.

"My dad taught me." Keikai replied, almost proudly, as he spat out the blood that was still in his mouth with some distaste, and grinned at the two boys.

"Wow…..Maybe we should call you somethin' else other than 'Keikai' from now on….." Young Harlock said, then glanced at Tochiro Jr. "Any ideas?"

"Nope." Tochiro Jr. replied, with a shrug.

"Then how about 'Lightningfang', but we can call you 'Fang' for short? How does that sound?" Young Harlock questioned. This got a winning smile from the wolf pup; his tail ablur as he nodded in agreement.

"Fang…..I'm Fang." The newly renamed pup murmured, liking the way it rolled off the tongue, and how it brought a sense of completeness to his own young soul.

"Then let's keep fightin' then, Fang. We've got a battle to win!" Tochiro Jr. encouraged, as he turned and motioned with a wave to the rest of the complex. With nods from both Young Harlock and Fang, they pushed onwards; ready for whatever else the complex had to throw at them, because of the courageous wolf pup at their sides.

……………………………

Tochiro let out almost a yell of victory, when he finally got one of the enemy fighters off of his tail; turning and firing even more blasts when the other tried to close in….almost able to hear the other pilot's fearful cry, when he saw how agile Tochiro's Cosmo Wing truly was.

"Outta my way!" Tochiro roared, furiously, before he let the enemy fighter have it, and then rushed back to the spot where he'd last seen Emeraldas. To his fury, both the female pirate captain and her wolf were down, and were being held at gunpoint by the man in front of them.

"Yarou…..you're gonna pay dearly for that." Tochiro snarled, as he again squeezed the trigger to his Cosmo Wing's cannons again; making the ground on all sides of the man explode. He could sense the relief of both Emeraldas and Angel beneath him, yet all too soon had to take his mind off of that, since the blue fighter had somehow survived his barrage, and was coming around again for another pass.

"Hold on for just a little bit longer, you two…..please hold on." Tochiro murmured, worriedly, when he'd sensed how tired and pain-filled the two truly were, now.

……………………..

"Where'd you think my mom's bein' held now, Harlock?!" Tochiro Jr. asked, as he and Young Harlock raced between the cell blocks; trying in a vain effort to find the cell where they thought Emeraldas would be.

"No idea…..but I don't think she's bein' held in these buildings, anymore!" Young Harlock replied, barely managing to avoid being hit with a stray blast, before a pair of strong arms grabbed the both of them and moved them out of harm's way.

"Shit! You kids had to have been outta your minds and got a helluva death-wish comin' into this hell! What made you decide to come out here?!" a man's voice asked, as they both looked unbelievingly back at him. The man appeared to be in his early to mid-twenties, had spiky brown hair that was tied back with a red bandanna, and was dressed in dingy white, Japanese-style fighter's clothes. His brown eyes, though fiery with the light of determination, were also filled with concern for their safety.

"We're here to rescue Tochiro's mom! Do you know where she is?" Fang asked, urgently; shouting to be heard over the explosions going off around them. At first, the man seemed stunned that Fang had spoken, yet then shook himself out of it, and looked at Tochiro Jr. closely.

"Your mom got caught and brought here, kid?" the man asked. Tochiro Jr. nodded.

"My mom's name is Emeraldas, the Pirate Queen. Have you heard of her?" Tochiro Jr. asked, in turn. At this, the man managed a slight smirk.

"I would've had to have been hidin' under a rock since the end of the Illumidas Occupation, to have not heard of her, kiddo." The man said, as he released them, cautiously stood, and then ruffled their hair with one strong hand.

"Then where is she?" Young Harlock asked, worriedly.

"She's still here on this hellhole planet somewhere, that's all I can say…..also I know that she's still alive, but has been tortured by the yarou that had captured us both." The man growled, angrily.

"Mom's been…..tortured?! How?! And who did it?!" Tochiro Jr. asked, angrily; his voice rising with every word spoken.

"Gokai….." the man replied, with a snarl; his brown eyes taking on an almost amber hue, at the thought of the man who had done the deed.

"He's gonna pay…." Tochiro Jr. vowed, furiously, as he gripped his Cosmo Dragoon tightly in his white-knuckled hands.

"That much I don't doubt, kid." The man agreed, as he then motioned for them to look in one direction in particular, "That's the direction I saw a red-haired lady and a wolf take, less than an hour ago. You might still be able to catch up with them!"

"But what about you? Aren't you comin' with us?" Fang asked, as he watched the fighter prepare to leave the shelter. He got a smirk from the man as a response.

"I've got a rebellion and prison break to run, pup. You'll be able to handle just fine without me!" the man said, with certainty, before rushing out into the open. It took only a split second for one of the guards to draw a bead on the swiftly-moving fighter, and just about that long for Young Harlock to notice him, aim, and fire. The fighter turned to look behind him in shock, when the guard fell to the ground dead; a smoking hole in the center of his chest all the proof the fighter needed to see that the boy had saved his life.

"Great shot, kid! I owe ya one!" the fighter shouted, gratefully, as he gave the trio a thumb's up, before turning and disappearing into the smoke.

"Wonder if we'll meet him again, someday?" Tochiro Jr. mused, as they watched him go. Young Harlock shrugged.

"Who knows? We just might." Young Harlock said, before they took off in the direction the man had said Emeraldas had gone…..and they hoped they weren't too late.

Author's Note!

Okay! Here's the newest chapter for this story! Hope this helps with the writer's block, Ligthingtooth-san!

Gemini14


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

To say that Harlock was bordering on frantic was an understatement. Even though he kept his face neutral, Lightningtooth could tell that he was definitely worried about Young Harlock, Tochiro Jr. and Keikai.

"They seem to be all right, so far, but I can't be sure of where they are, at this point!" Lightningtooth shouted, trying to make himself heard, over the noise of the rifles and explosions going off all around them.

"Any idea which direction they might have headed in?" Harlock asked; gritting his teeth when one shot glanced off of the rocks in front of him, and a shard from one of them buried itself in his right arm.

"I can't really tell, from here…..All I know is that they're getting closer to Emeraldas' location." Lightningtooth replied, then froze when a howl came to his ears.

"That sounded like Angel, Captain!" one of the crewmembers shouted, desperately.

"Go to her! I'll be along shortly!" Harlock growled, his tone brooking no argument from the wolf leader.

"Don't die here, old friend." Lightningtooth said, before rushing out of the safety of the outcrops.

"I don't intend to." Harlock muttered, knowing that his promise could be sensed by his friend, even if his words hadn't been heard.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

As he ran, Lightningtooth picked up the trail his mate and Emeraldas had left behind; becoming enraged the further he went.

"_That bastard has even dared to harm Angel as well! I will make him pay DEARLY for that!_" Lightningtooth silently raged, as he stopped briefly to utter a fierce war howl; smiling grimly to himself when he heard Keikai's voice as well, just seconds later.

"_Hope I get there in time to help them, since Keikai, Young Harlock and Tochiro Jr. seem to be even closer!_" Lightningtooth thought, as he quickened his pace towards the imperiled woman and wolf.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The sight that met their eyes boiled their blood, and froze it, at the same time. A man now stood before the badly injured wolf and woman on the ground; aiming his pistol at almost point-blank range at the wolf, as both Young Harlock and Tochiro Jr. provided him with some cover, as well. With rage taking over reason, Fang charged into the fight; moving faster than he ever had before, leaping up, and slashing at the man's arm with his fangs when he was close enough. It was when the young wolf had finished getting their enemy's attention that he nodded at them and motioned for them to get behind him.

"Keikai!" the wolf said, her voice sounding quiet with shock and disbelief.

"Lady Emeraldas, are you all right?" Young Harlock asked, worriedly, when he'd gotten close enough for the woman to hear him. Startled by his presence there, Lady Emeraldas turned her gaze to him and Tochiro and stared at them in some disbelief.

"Tochiro……" Emeraldas gasped, painfully, in response.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Tochiro Jr. again asked, worriedly; his question seeming to stun the Pirate Queen more than anything else. Even after having been 'abandoned' on earth, he was still willing to call her his mother?!

"What the hell are these kids doing here? Oh well. The sooner they're out of the way, the sooner I can break the woman down." The man sneered, reminding them that he was still there, and as he pointed his pistol at Young Harlock's head.

"Don't think we're gonna let you do that so easily. You're not going to hurt her anymore." Young Harlock growled, coldly; and as Fang bared his teeth in agreement.

"K-keikai……where…..is your father?" the white wolf behind them asked, her voice now barely a strained whisper. At this, she got a reassuring smile from Fang in response.

"Don't worry, Mom. Dad's coming……he isn't that far off, now." Fang said, comfortingly, and then added, "By the way, I've got a new name now! It's Fang! Young Harlock'd named me!"

"'Fang'…..It's a good name…..It suits you very well……And Young Harlock is the boy's name, then?" the white wolf asked, tiredly. Fang nodded.

"Don't worry and rest easy, Mom. We'll hold this guy off." Fang confidently stated; ignoring the man when he sneered at them and their seemingly diminutive strength. Seconds later, the man had again fired at the son of the pirate captain, only to have another gash opened in his arm by a now-enraged Fang. Soon he was firing at both; swiftly becoming angrier by the pup's swiftness in the face of the danger before him, and taking it out on Young Harlock, seconds later by opening some wounds on his shoulders and upper arms by a few stray blaster bolts.

"Blasted kids! I'll show you!" the man roared, as he aimed his pistol at Lady Emeraldas and Tochiro Jr., yet was stopped from drawing a bead on them when Young Harlock fired and hit his shoulder, and drawing his attention back onto himself……and managing to draw the man into the open just enough for some fire from overhead to nearly hit him.

"Dad!!" Tochiro Jr. shouted, relieved beyond words that his father had finally arrived to help them in the rescue.

"T-tochiro……" Lady Emeraldas gasped, painfully, also showing very evident relief at seeing her husband come in for a landing nearby; having defeated the enemy fighters yet still managing to be ready for whatever else the man had in store for them. Yet Tochiro Jr. could only feel intense worry emerge, when he saw and felt his mother shudder in pain, and when she started to collapse……her strength was failing.

"Hang on, Mother. Don't give up now……it's almost over." Tochiro Jr. encouraged; trying to keep his mother conscious long enough to find out what exactly was wrong with her. As the man leaped out of the way of the landing space-craft, Fang saw his chance to disarm him; he dashed towards the man, slashed into him with his fangs, grabbed his gun, and then returned to Young Harlock's side.

"Nice move, Fang." Young Harlock muttered, impressed by the young wolf's quick thinking, and smirking inwardly when he heard the man cursing vehemently about the new wound, as well.

"Stand back, Young Harlock, Fang. Help Tochiro Jr get Angel and Emeraldas into the Cosmo Wing…..I'll handle this." Tochiro Sr. growled, in a tone that could very well have frozen even Captain Harlock's blood, had he heard it. As it was, both children and the wolf cub shuddered at the chilling note in it…..knowing that the man who had done this to both Emeraldas and Angel would not be getting away from this battlefield alive.

"You're gonna pay dearly for this, yarou, mark my words……" Tochiro snarled, furiously, as he felt for the pommel of his katana; his voice laden with the promise of death for the man for even looking at his wife with lust in his heart.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**After a long delay, here's the newest chapter for this story! In order to fully understand what is going on here, please read Ligthingtooth's story 'Unbreakable Will of Love', as well! Thanks for reading!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

By some unspoken agreement, the sons of the space pirates each did what they could to keep Emeraldas safe. Tochiro Jr. was now trying to reach the _**Arcadia**_ by way of his father's Cosmo Wing's communications system, and Young Harlock stood about three feet away from the fighter's side; ready to jump in and help Tochiro Sr., if he was needed. Yet still Young Harlock felt some shock, when he saw how fast Tochiro Sr. truly was.

"_I'll bet he could run circles around this son of a bitch if he wanted to!_" Young Harlock mused, with a smirk; the expression not doing anything to hide the true fury he was feeling towards the villain for putting the mother of his best friend through so much pain.

"P-please…..tell the others….to hurry." The white wolf sitting at Emeraldas' side whimpered, making both boys look at her, and see just how dire the woman's condition was becoming, and just how much the wolf was struggling to stay awake herself; getting a nod from Tochiro Jr. as a response, and prompting him to step up his efforts of getting the message through.

"_They're both getting worse! We've gotta hurry and get them outta here, Harlock!_" Fang mentally whined, as fear for his own mother began to take root, as well.

"_I think Tochiro's just about got it, Fang_….." Young Harlock replied, confidently; trusting in his friend's knack for breaking codes, and feeling encouraged when he heard his friend utter a victorious (and relieved-sounding) laugh when he did just that.

"_**Arcadia**_, come in! Do you read me?! Over!" Tochiro Jr. shouted; the desperation leaking into his voice as he said those words.

"Who is it?! Who's calling through this frequency?!" Kei's voice responded; seeming startled that someone had finally managed to get through the interference.

"It's me! Tochiro Jr!" Tochiro Jr. replied, as he looked back at his mother, and felt his pulse quicken when he saw how pale she had become.

"Little Tochiro…." Kei murmured, then seemed to notice the cold fear in his voice, "Is everything all right over there? Are you safe?"

"We…..we need help over here! Mom…..that yarou did something to her! There's something wrong and we can't tell what!" Tochiro Jr. answered; listening as Emeraldas' strained gasps, and the sounds of his father's angry snarls seemed to merge into one single, horrible noise behind him.

"It…..was some kind…..of poison….." the wolf again whispered; the agony she was feeling from her mistress becoming almost unbearable for her as she lay there.

"Then I'll tell Doc Zero to get the sickbay ready! Just tell her to hang in there!" Kei said; her voice gaining the telltale hint that fear and worry for the Pirate Queen was taking root within her, as well, "Do you know where Harlock and your father have gotten to?"

"Dad's here, fighting the yarou that had poisoned Mom now! I don't know where the Captain is, but we did hear Lightning's howl few minutes ago!" Tochiro said, as he turned to look at the battle between his father and Gokai again.

"Okay! Stay put there, and as soon as I get ahold of Harlock, I'll send him your way!" Kei almost shouted.

"Then please hurry….." was all Tochiro Jr. could say, in answer to that, as he returned his fear-filled gaze to his mother's fading green eyes, "_Mom, you've got to hang on! Don't die here!_"

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Sensing that time was fast slipping away, Tochiro Sr. could only keep up his running battle against the evil, lust-filled man before him.

"Hold still, you worm! Allow me to kill you!" Gokai hissed, venomously, as he again slashed into Tochiro's defenses…..grinning victoriously when he finally landed a blow. With only a growl of pain, Tochiro Sr. stumbled back from the hit; gritting his teeth when blood sprayed from a deep wound in his chest.

"_The day is __mine__, filth!_" Gokai inwardly cheered, as he got around the smaller man; reversing their positions so that now he was the closest one to the Cosmo Wing, and Tochiro Sr. wasn't.

"Dad!" Tochiro Jr. shouted, aghast when he saw that happen.

"Tochiro-san!!" Fang yelped, in alarm, when he'd seen and scented the blood flowing freely down the smaller man's chest, and uttering a yelp, when Gokai turned and started running towards the fighter; intent on retaking the gravely ill Pirate Queen sitting within it.

"Bastard! Back off!" Young Harlock yelled, furiously, as he fired a blast at the approaching man, and as Fang also did what he could to slow his advance…..leaping in to try and grab Gokai's throat in his jaws, only to end up getting slashed in his chest, as well.

"Out of my way, brat!" Gokai demanded, as he continued swinging his sword; coming dangerously close to hitting Young Harlock, before the son of the pirate captain fired yet another blast and got him to leap back again.

"Close the canopy, Tochiro! Hurry!" Young Harlock commanded, as he eyed the evil man before him.

"But what about you?!" Tochiro Jr. asked, alarmed with his friend's decision to fight, despite the odds.

"Don't worry about me! DO IT!!" Young Harlock again shouted; the edge in his voice telling Tochiro Jr. that there was no room or time for argument.

"_Shimatta!_" Tochiro Jr. silently cursed, as he punched in the command for the cockpit canopy to close; providing him, his mother, and her wolf some measure of protection…..and leaving Young Harlock, Fang, and Tochiro Sr. at the mercy of Gokai.

"You damned brat!! You'll pay for making me lose the Pirate Queen! DIE!!" Gokai roared, as he charged towards him again, with his sword raised for the kill.

"_Shit! He's comin' in too fast for me to take him down!_" Young Harlock thought, as his life began to flash before his eyes…..and then, as something else flashed into view before the sword could split his skull open. Seconds later, Gokai was knocked to the ground; his sword breaking in half, as he went.

"Lightning!" Young Harlock yelped, relieved beyond words to see the scarred wolf.

"Are you all right, Young Harlock?" Lightningtooth asked, from between gasps; seeing from the corner of his eye when the boy nodded.

"Yeah…..you got here just in time." Young Harlock replied, as Fang limped his way over to him, he picked him up, and held him carefully against him.

"_Dad_…." Fang mentally whimpered, in relief; not daring to speak, when he felt the icy rage that was now boiling within his father's heart.

"As much as I hate to say it…..I almost feel sorry for that son of a bitch, now." Fang mumbled, as he watched his father get into a position that shielded not only them from Gokai, but also the Cosmo Wing as well.

"Why? He's had it comin'." Young Harlock growled, angrily; taking into account that Gokai had not only hurt Tochiro Jr.'s parents, but Fang too. At this, he got a slight, pained grin from Fang, in response.

"The yarou did the few things that really piss my dad off….For one, he hurt not only his closest friends, but also somebody he considers a second master, and has hurt his mate, me, and almost hurt you and Tochiro too…..and the last time somebody had been stupid enough to hurt me, he'd nearly castrated the dogs who'd done it, himself." Fang answered, as the feelings he was picking up from his father intensified to the point that even the humans around him could clearly feel them, "He isn't gonna hold back anymore."

"I guess not…." Young Harlock agreed; shuddering when he felt the murderous intent in the wolf's spirit now.

"_Compared to how he'd been when Tochiro and I had tried to fight 'im, it's a good thing __we're__ not the ones on his 'To Kill' list now!_" Young Harlock mused, as he watched Tochiro Sr. get back to his feet, and take up a position beside the scarred black wolf.

"Are you all right, old friend?" Lightningtooth was barely heard to ask, as soon as the man was beside him. All he got in answer to that, was a nod, and a look that said it all. Tochiro Sr. was also ready for some revenge.

"Then let's take this piece of shit apart!" Lightningtooth howled, before both he and Tochiro Sr. charged back into the fray again; with fangs and sword gleaming in the sunlight.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Okay, here's the newest chapter in this tale! (Again, you have to read Ligthingtooth's fic 'Unbreakable Will of Love' in order to better understand what is going on). Hopefully this will help defeat your Writer's Block, Ligthingtooth-san!**_

_**Hope this was all right!**_

_**Gemini14**_


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